We have an internet group that focuses on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.
Many, but not all of the members, have children with ASD.
All who are following or who are interested in the SCD are welcome
to join our group.

The Pecanbread discussion group is located on Yahoo Groups.
Parents can ask each other questions, update each other regarding the progress
of their child, and provide each other with support.

If you prefer to read the messages online or you want to join the group
via the internet, please click
here.

For those of you who have never used a Yahoo! Group before:

How to use Yahoo! Groups

To access the Yahoo! Groups features, you must first have a Yahoo! ID and
password.
If you do not already have one, creating one is very simple.

Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/

On the left-hand side of the screen, under "New users", click "Click
here to register" and follow the instructions.

Once you have a Yahoo! ID you can access the groupís homepage by going to
Pecanbread Yahoo!
group and then signing in to Yahoo! and visiting the homepage via your
web browser.

Yahoo! Groups features and what our site contains:

Messages: You can read all messages that have been posted to the group
since the day it was opened. Also has a search feature at the top right-hand
corner, which allows you to search the archives for specific topics.

Chat: Allows you to chat with the other members of the group.

Files: Some success stories shared by parents and our group's guidelines
for posting.

Database: A place where people can find others nearby who are following
the SCD.

Links: Links related to SCD.

You may also change your preferences by going to the groupís homepage and
editing your membership. On the right-hand side of the groupís homepage
click "Edit My Membership". From there you can change your profile, opt
for individual emails, daily digest, special notices, or no emails. You
can also edit your message format to convert to HTML or to not convert to
HTML.

If you need further assistance in accessing the features of Yahoo! Groups,
please feel free to contact Sheila.

Why is it important to join the list?

Many important details are not in the book. Being part of a list brings
you Support, Encouragement and Motivation.

There are many things we learned from Elaine when she participated on
SCD lists. These bits of "SCD Wisdom" are shared and passed on to newcomers.
You will also gain from the shared experiences of the many resourceful
parents by participating and you can learn to avoid mistakes by reading
about the mistakes of others.

Never be afraid to reveal that you made a mistake. Even the best SCD
experts once made mistakes when they started out.

How to get help from the list.

When posting to the list, it is really helpful if people remember to
say what foods they are eating, how long on the diet, and if appropriate what
supplements they are giving their kids. Include this under your
name/signature:

FLORIDA

Name of Group: Biological Interventions for Autistic Spectrum Disorders
(BIASD).Location: We meet the second Friday of every month from 6:30 pm to
8:30 pm at Fruitville Library on Fruitville Rd. in Sarasota, FL.Contact: Dianna Brown, E-mail is biasdsarasota@earthlink.net.

Surrey, ENGLAND

Name of Group: SurreySCD groupLocation: Meeting times to be set up in the future. Contact: Yvonne. Please call: 07973 290773

TORONTO

Name of Group:UCLBS
UCLBS members stay in touch through the Net and get together regularly to share delicious SCD potluck meals, swap recipes, and support each other's healing. We'd love to welcome you as a member.Click
here to view the group website

If you would like your group listed here, please send the following information
to the Pecanbread.com owner.:

The name of your group

Where and when the group meets

Contact info (either phone number or e-mail address)

Being listed on this page does not constitute official endorsement
of any group.

Getting Help in the Kitchen

SCD might appear overwhelming at first for many parents of children with
ASD. Some moms and dads are unable to get a good night rest because their
child wakes them up, and they are unable to cook when a child requires constant
care, and special lessons in speech, music, listening and social skills.

If possible, get extra help in cooking. Find some volunteers in the
community. Seek out senior citizens or teens who want to contribute community
service. Go to the high school or senior center in your area. Instead
of paying out lots of money for doctors, spend on someone to come for
a few hours (two to five) a week to cook. Internet recipes can be translated
to foreign languages in case you would like to hire an immigrant.

Compare SCD to ABA or other intensive early interventions; they require
hired helpers for as much as forty hours a week. SCD is just as powerful
a tool if not more and yet it requires only those two to five extra hours
a week to provide a good supply of suitable home prepared foods. (When
we changed from GFCFSF to SCD the cooking was just as easy as GFCFSF and
had less stringent requirements about utensils etc.)

Vegetables took the place of rice and potato, baked goods were achieved
using nut flour. SCD food is delicious and attractive. There are now well
over one thousand recipes in existence, many are free.

How to Get Support from Those around You

Dieting of any sort is a very subjective and personal procedure. Only an
extremely strong, independent person succeeds without interest and approval
from family, friends and health care professionals. it is proven that those
requiring a special diet do better with support. It can be frustrating to
explain your diet to curious and well meaning significant others and to
sometimes have to defend your new eating plan. Nothing succeeds like success
and as progress takes place, chances are you will win the doubters over.

Your best strategy is to reinforce your own belief in your SCD. Understand
the science behind it. Manipulating the food supply of bad bacteria and
causing them to die off is the procedure and it has proven very effective.
Share some of the success reports you have read along with the numerous
professional articles that have appeared in medical journals or written
by physicians.

You will be most vulnerable when you start the diet because of the challenge
of changing foods and coping with the initial die off symptoms.

Take advantage of the information and personal support available on
the Internet.

Share your own progress with others so they can draw on wide experiences.
Make every effort to adhere strictly to the diet in order to ensure best
results. Review the BTVC and websites frequently.

Commit for a strict one month trial of SCD.

Believe in what you are doing and strive to do it well! You are not
alone.